Baddour does in Golden Falcons again

PIKEVILLE -- Eastern Wayne's Helen Baddour scored the game-winning goal against Charles B. Aycock for the second time this year as the Warriors closed out the regular season with a 2-1 win at the Golden Falcons' field on Wednesday.

Baddour's goal came with just over 10 minutes left in the second half as the junior knocked in a loose ball near the goal line after Samantha Frazer served a cross into the box from the right wing. Baddour, a junior, also had the game-clinching goal against Aycock on April 11.

Eastern Wayne's Crystal Lemon delivered a key pass to the foot of Frazer during the scoring possession.

The Warriors (9-5-1 overall) concluded Class 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference play with a second-place, 8-2 record and will host their first-ever women's soccer N.C. High School Athletic Association playoff game next Wednesday. Eastern Wayne will likely face Harnett Central from the Big Eight South.

The Warriors improved their record to 3-0-1 against Aycock this season. The Wayne County rivals also played two games in non-conference play -- along with a pre-season scrimmage.

"If you play somebody five times, they probably knew Samantha Frazer's shoe size," Wagner said. "It will be nice (to play somebody new). We haven't seen them and they haven't seen us.

"We haven't played at home before in the playoffs, so it's a nice perk for the girls."

Aycock (7-10-3, 4-6 ECC), also a playoff qualifier, will travel to the Big Eight South's second seed when the first round begins. The Falcons, a team with four seniors and one junior, will likely take on Clayton.

Despite being outshot 7-4 in the first half, Aycock took a 1-0 lead into intermission.

Fifteen minutes into the game, Falcon sophomore Lizzie Sodoma scored from 35-yards out on a free kick -- lofting a long shot toward the center of the goal. Warrior goalie Morgan Pritchett reached up and got two hands on the shot, but it bounced off of her gloves and into the net to open the scoring.

"Lizzie's got a very strong leg. We've been working on how to use it efficiently ... getting the right altitude on it," Aycock coach John Fidler said. "Maybe we should move every kick out to 35 yards. We use her all over the field for her leg."

The first half saw both teams miss on a couple of close opportunities with both having their share of possession on the offensive end.

The Warriors came out on the offensive in the second half. Mere minutes into the frame, Natalie Taylor broke free with the ball past the Falcon defense. Alertly, Aycock goalie Emily Stewart charged out and disrupted Taylor's shot out of play.

After missing out on a couple of scoring chances on crosses from the right wing that bounced inside the box, the Warriors equalized midway through the half.

With daylight just outside the top of the box on the right side, Warriors sophomore Kasie Edwards lofted a shot over the head of Stewart, while falling away from the shot to make it 1-1. Nine minutes later, Baddour tallied the game-winner.

"I've got to give Eastern Wayne credit. They are a good conditioned and well-coached team," Fidler said. "We got a little tired in the second half again. That's been the story of our season. I think we've lost five, one-goal games.

"This young team didn't back down from anyone. The young girls have really improved a lot.

Sodoma had one more opportunity on a free kick from the left wing near the three-minute mark, but Pritchett saved the line-drive shot. Pritchett finished with five saves on the game, while Stewart grabbed six saves.

Rachel Coggins, Anem Waheed, Shirlanne Caplinger and Danielle Street played in their final regular-season home games for Aycock on Senior Day.